October 1914

"Any chance that's for me?" Bill asked Abigail as she stepped into the Mountie's office the next day with a basket of food.

"Actually, it's for Henry." She told him.

Henry heard her voice from his cell and stood up from the thin slab of wood that they call a bed in there. "Well, if you're really hungry, Bill, I'd be happy to trade places with you." Henry joked.

Abigail held back a chuckle as Bill ignored Henry's words. "Your greatest fault is your kindness." Bill told Abigail as he walked around the Mountie desk to go unlock Henry's cell.

"When's the trial?" Abigail asked Bill as she followed him to the cell.

"Not soon enough." Bill told her with disdain.

"I thought we were becoming friends, Bill." Henry said with a half smirk, honestly having fun teasing him.

"Hm. That must mean that you're gonna plead insanity." Mr. Avery told Henry as he unlocked the cell door and opened it for Abigail.

Henry actually chuckled at that and Abigail couldn't help but smile as she stepped through the door to hand Henry the basket of food. "I'm glad you decided to testify against the railroad, Henry." She told him, actually feeling quite proud of him. "It was the right thing to do."

"Well, in truth, I did it to save my own skin, Abigail." He said, vowing to himself that he was done lying to her from now on.

"Hm, I see." She nodded, though she didn't believe that was entirely true. "And when you stopped Ray Wyatt from shooting Bill…was THAT to save your own skin too?" She asked him.

Henry's half smile faded a bit, knowing that this was about to turn into another talk about how he could change into a good man with a second chance. "You can go now." He told her, feeling as if he didn't deserve anymore chances and she shouldn't speak to him as if he did. Abigail internally sighed, looking down at the floor as she realized he was still just as stubborn as ever and she moved to turn when Henry spoke again. "Thank you for lunch." He said, and his tone told her that he really meant it and she smiled at him again.

Just as she nodded, she saw a look in his eyes as if he were begging her to forgive him yet again and it caused something inside of her to change everything she had thought about him in the past. A part of her wanted to beg Bill to let him go, but she knew that would be wrong and she left, wishing she could have gone back in time and been nicer to Henry years ago. Perhaps he never would have gotten himself in this sticky situation. She stepped outside and shook her head at herself for thinking that she was to blame and she headed for the Mayor's Office to get some town's paperwork finished seeing as she was the acting mayor once again.

November 1914

Another few weeks passed and the winter air came early, growing frost on the cafe's windows. Abigail was aware that Henry was to be moved to a prison closer to Cape Fullerton soon. She awoke earlier than usual one morning to make him a nice warm breakfast and she took it over to the jail. As she stepped inside, she saw the door to the Mountie bedroom was closed, telling her that Bill had not awakened for the day yet and she quietly closed the front door behind her.

She took small light steps over toward the jail cell and set the basket of food down on the floor, close to the bars. She looked at Henry's figure in the dark before lighting a match on the table beside the cell and lighting the lantern that was hanging up on the wall. With the lantern lit, she could see Henry better and she sighed to herself, watching him sleep for a moment before going to the Mountie desk. She set the lantern on the desk and got a piece of paper and a pencil from it, beginning to write Henry a note to leave with his breakfast.

"Abigail?" She heard his voice behind her and she stood up straight again, turning her head to see him sit up in the cell bed.

"Henry. Did I wake you?" She spoke quietly so as not to wake Bill in the other room as well.

"No, no…You wouldn't believe how hard it is to sleep on this thing." He half joked again, something Abigail had now concluded to be somewhat of a coping mechanism for Henry during hard times. The woman stepped over to sit in the chair against the wall beside the cell while Henry went to sit in the mirrored chair inside the cell beside her. "What's that?" He looked down at the basket of food.

"Oh…I brought you some breakfast. I know that you are leaving today, so I thought maybe you'd-"

"Enjoy pity food?" He interrupted her.

"Well, if you are going to act like that, I have no problem taking it home to Cody." She sighed at her own remarks at him and shook her head, changing her tone. "It is not pity food. I thought you'd enjoy a nice warm meal before you are sent somewhere that will most definitely not have someone like me or your chef to cook." She lifted up the basket off the floor. "Would you?"

He thought for a moment before he nodded. "Alright." She handed him the basket through the bars. "Thank you." He opened it and began to eat.

"How are you holding up?" She asked him, genuinely concerned as she shivered a bit. "It's starting to get cold in here."

"I'm alright. I run warm." He told her.

"I've noticed." She said, remembering how his body always felt against hers.

"Is Rebecca still here on her school break?" He asked her, trying to make conversation.

"Yes, she is. She leaves in a couple of days."

"Her brother must be happy to have her here again."

"Oh, Cody's a bit lonely actually. Becky's been studying up a storm since she arrived and Cody feels a bit neglected I think."

"That's good, that she's studying in front of him. It'll show him what hard work and dedication is. He'll grow up to understand that." Henry justified.

"Yes, but he also needs to learn how to take a break from work. Which is something I wish Becky would realize."

"Taking breaks does not make success." He said, taking another bite of a cranberry muffin.

"That is not true. Taking breaks gives you time to rest. And you can be more sharp if you've had more rest." Abigail argued.

"I never had much trouble with or without my rest." He told her.

"Well, not everyone is as resilient and determined as you." She chuckled a bit. "Oh, but Cody IS really going to miss her when she leaves for school again. Though she will be back for Christmas which is exciting. I already have the perfect gift planned for them."

"What gift?" He asked her.

"Oh, I've been speaking to a lawyer and a judge in Union City. They have agreed to help me legally adopt Becky and Cody as my own." Her smile grew from ear to ear. "I am so excited to tell them. It is very hard to keep it a secret."

"Why can't you tell them now?" He asked.

"Well, it would ruin the surprise. And the papers will not be fully filed until Christmas Eve anyway. So it is very important that I don't say anything just yet in case something goes wrong with the paperwork and I disappoint them."

Henry nodded and thought to himself just how glad he was to see her so happy. "Congratulations, Abigail." He told her before taking another bite of his muffin.

Abigail was suddenly reminded of the bars between them and her smile faded a bit as she realized she had been bragging about how wonderful her life was becoming and speaking about family and Christmas gifts when Henry would not have any of those things this Christmas. Her eyes fell to the muffin in his hand. "I've noticed you tend to eat your sweets before your meals." She chuckled a bit. "Does someone have a sweet tooth?" She teased.

"Quite the opposite, actually." He corrected her.

"Oh, really?" She chuckled again, not believing him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Before he could answer, the door to the Mountie bedroom opened and Bill stood there, letting out a big yawn with a stretch while he pulled his coat on. At first, he did not notice the other two before he went to the furnace and lit a fire in it with a shiver. He placed both his hands in front of his mouth and blew a breath into them to warm them up. Once he closed the furnace, he stood up straight again and noticed his own shadow on the wall in front of him. This confused him, considering the light from the furnace was in front of him and his shadow would, in fact, be on the wall behind him. Not in front of him. This caused him to turn around and notice the lit lantern on the table next to Abigail.

"Oh. Good morning, Abigail." He said as he moved to sit at the desk. "Abigail?!" He said once he realized that she shouldn't be there so early in the morning. "What on earth are you doing up this early?"

"Oh, I just thought I would bring Henry some breakfast." She replied. "That is alright, isn't it?"

"Of course not. You can't be left alone with a fugitive." Bill said, overreacting just a bit.

"Bill…this is not a fugitive. This is Henry. And he is no more dangerous than you or I."

"He's not?" Bill asked.

"I'm not?" Henry added onto that.

"Of course not." Abigail stood from the chair. "I better head home before Becky and Cody wake up to see I'm not there." She nodded to both of them. "Bill. Have a good day. Henry…" She looked at him, having so much that she wanted to say, but knowing she shouldn't in front of Bill. "...Good luck with everything." She said and left, heading back to the cafe.

The next morning, Henry sat in his jail cell, wondering what was taking so long for his transfer to finally happen when Rosemary entered the Mountie's office. "Breakfast is served." The actress said happily with a dish in her hands.

"Finally. Thank you, Rosemary." Henry stood from the bed.

"Oh!" Rosemary looked to him as if she had forgotten anyone was there. "Oh dear, this is embarrassing….this food is for Rip." She told him, feeling extremely awkward. "Mr. Avery asked me to feed him so he could go search for Carson with the others."

"Carson?"

"Yes. Turns out he is a doctor. Who knew?"

"We all have our secrets."

"Yes, you are right." Rosemary said, immediately remembering his and Abigail's secret. She quickly brushed it off and continued. "Welll…we need him here for poor little Cody."

Henry grabbed onto one of the bars of the cell. "What do you mean?"

"He is very ill and Faith thinks it might be Appendicitis. He may need surgery or we could lose him."

Henry let out a breath, immediately wishing he could go out and find Abigail himself to comfort her somehow. "How's Abigail taking it?" He asked her.

"As best as she can. Given the circumstances….It isn't easy." She paused, thinking about how poor Abigail must be feeling now with the possibility of losing another son. "I will see if I can find you some breakfast."

Just as Rosemary turned to leave, Henry spoke again. "Sorry about the boy."

Rosemary turned to look at him again, wondering where Henry's sudden compassion had come from and she stepped further into the room again. "Yes. We all are. There isn't much any of us can do right now, except pray." She told him before finally leaving.

Henry held onto those words, for the first time wishing he had known how to pray so that he could be of SOME help, at least, for Abigail. He rested his head against the bars in front of him, feeling useless and helpless.

The day went on and Henry tried his best to listen for any commotion outside, mentally kicking himself for not being there for his only friend when she needed him.

Friend?

This was the first time he ever thought of himself as having a friend. He wanted to do everything he could to help her and to save her son. He owed her that after not saving her first son. He knew how much Cody and Becky meant to Abigail. He knew by how much her face would light up when she spoke about them. He knew by how scared she was for Becky when she was sick. He knew by how much she talked about them. He knew. And he cared.

He kicked the chair in the jail cell and it hit the wall before falling to the floor. He sat on the bed, putting his face in his hands before he looked up as if to try and speak to God.

"Why are you doin this to her?" He asked. "If you're really here, then prove it! Save Cody! Save Abigail." He sighed and laid down on the bed, soon falling asleep.

Later on that afternoon, Bill stepped inside. "It's time to go, Henry."

"Go?"

"Just got a wire from the magistrate. Your arraignment's been scheduled. It's time to move you." Bill told him, stepping over to the jail cell door.

Henry refused to move from the bed, keeping his hands folded in his lap. "I know that you're eager to get rid of me, but I have a favor to ask." He said as Bill unlocked the cell door and opened it, stepping inside.

"You want to ask ME a favor?"

"It's not a big one. I just wondered if you'd let me stay until I find out what happens with Cody. Just a day. We'll still get there in time."

"You're stalling." Bill assumed with no remorse.

Henry finally stood up, placing his hands in his pockets. "You can call it what you will."

Bill looked at him suspiciously, suddenly realizing what a few others had begun to realize as well. "Why do you care so much about Abigail?"

"Why do YOU?" Henry pointed out.

Bill didn't answer right away before he stepped back out of the jail cell and closed it again. "The weather is supposed to be better tomorrow anyway." He locked the door. "I'll let you know if there's any news about the boy." He told him and left.